command

[ kuh-mand, -mahnd ]

See synonyms for: command commanded commanding commands on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order: The captain commanded his men to attack.
to require authoritatively; demand: She commanded silence.

to have or exercise authority or control over; be master of; have at one's bidding or disposal: The Pharaoh commanded 10,000 slaves.
to deserve and receive (respect, sympathy, attention, etc.): He commands much respect for his attitude.
to dominate by reason of location; overlook: The hill commands the sea.
to have authority over and responsibility for (a military or naval unit or installation); be in charge of.

verb (used without object)

to issue an order or orders.
to be in charge; have authority.

to occupy a dominating position; look down upon or over a body of water, region, etc.

noun

the act of commanding or ordering.
an order given by one in authority: The colonel gave the command to attack.

Military.
- an order in prescribed words, usually given in a loud voice to troops at close-order drill: The command was “Right shoulder arms!”
- the order of execution or the second part of any two-part close-order drill command, as face in Right face!
- Command, a principal component of the U.S. Air Force: Strategic Air Command.
- a body of troops or a station, ship, etc., under a commander.
the possession or exercise of controlling authority: a lieutenant in command of a platoon.
mastery; expertise: He has a command of French, Russian, and German.
British. a royal order.
power of dominating a region by reason of location; extent of view or outlook: the command of the valley from the hill.
Computers.
- an electric impulse, signal, or set of signals for initiating an operation in a computer.
- a character, symbol, or item of information for instructing a computer to perform a specific task.
- a single instruction.

adjective

of, relating to, or for use in the exercise of command: a command car;command post.
of or relating to a commander: a command decision.

ordered by a sovereign, as if by a sovereign, or by the exigencies of a situation: a command performance.

Origin of command

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English coma(u)nden, from Anglo-French com(m)a(u)nder, Old French comander, from Medieval Latin commandāre, equivalent to Latin com- com- + mandāre “to entrust, order” (cf. commend); (noun) late Middle English comma(u)nde, from Anglo-French, Old French; the noun is derivative of the verb

synonym study For command

1. See direct. 3. See rule.

Other words for command

1	bid, charge, direct, enjoin
instruct, order, prescribe	3
control, govern, lead, rule; manage, oversee	4
call for, compel, claim, exact	10
direction, bidding, injunction, charge, mandate, instruction	13
authority, charge, control; ascendancy, sway, domination	14
proficiency; comprehension, grasp, knowledge, understanding

See synonyms for command on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for command

obey

See antonyms for command on Thesaurus.com

Other words from command

command·a·ble, adjective
pre·com·mand, noun, verb
un·com·mand·ed, adjective
well-com·mand·ed, adjective

Words Nearby command

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use command in a sentence

The feature, which has been around for years, allows Alexa users to combine multiple tasks into a single voice command of their choosing.
Amazon makes Alexa Routines shareable | Sarah Perez | September 17, 2020 | TechCrunch
Second, the department plans to overhaul the process and chain of command for simultaneous search warrants.
The policing reforms in the Breonna Taylor settlement, explained | Fabiola Cineas | September 17, 2020 | Vox
The formidable DJI RoboMaster S1 will accept commands from a remote, or via a simple coding system called Scratch.
These three robots can teach kids how to code | John Kennedy | September 17, 2020 | Popular-Science
You could have it switch all your smart home devices off with a single command.
Get around your phone more quickly than you already are | David Nield | September 16, 2020 | Popular-Science
Bashagha, who sought to rein in militias after fighting between armed groups rocked Tripoli in 2018, angered al-Sarraj by stating publicly that the civilian police under his command would protect demonstrators.
Can Libya’s Fragile Peace Survive Fresh Cracks? | Charu Kasturi | September 15, 2020 | Ozy

Certainly, she seems to command near-total devotion among her clients.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
You expect soldiers of all ranks to understand the need to respect the chain of command, regardless of personal feelings.
We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This | Nick Gillespie | December 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The seemingly endless ranks snapped to attention on command and thousands of white gloves rose in salute.
Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos | Michael Daly | December 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Perhaps the most interesting and indeed relevant of this is the C2 (or command and Control) addresses found in the malware.
No, North Korea Didn’t Hack Sony | Marc Rogers | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In the event, the enemy did plenty—far more than SHAEF, or for that matter the German high command, imagined possible.
Hitler’s Hail Mary | James A. Warren | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
One of the simplest of these childish tricks is the invention of an excuse for not instantly obeying a command, as "Come here!"
Children's Ways | James Sully
Like every other Spanish general in supreme command abroad, Polavieja had his enemies in Spain.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
Thanks to Berthier's admirable system, Bonaparte was kept in touch with every part of his command.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
They were never refused, for their recipients looked upon them much in the light of a royal command.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills
The General in command of the station was a feeble old man, suffering from senile decay.
The Red Year | Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for command (1 of 2)

command

/ (kəˈmɑːnd) /

verb

(when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to order, require, or compel
to have or be in control or authority over (a person, situation, etc)

(tr) to have knowledge or use of: he commands the language
(tr) to receive as due or because of merit: his nature commands respect
to dominate (a view, etc) as from a height

noun

an order; mandate
the act of commanding

the power or right to command
the exercise of the power to command
ability or knowledge; control: a command of French
mainly military the jurisdiction of a commander
a military unit or units commanding a specific area or function, as in the RAF
British
- an invitation from the monarch
- (as modifier): a command performance
computing a word or phrase that can be selected from a menu or typed after a prompt in order to carry out an action

Origin of command

C13: from Old French commander, from Latin com- (intensive) + mandāre to entrust, enjoin, command

British Dictionary definitions for Command (2 of 2)

Command

/ (kəˈmɑːnd) /

noun

any of the three main branches of the Canadian military forces: Air Command

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with command

command

In addition to the idiom beginning with command

command performance

also see:

have a good command

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